Arguments as to which sport is the bin the world always generate passion and inciteful debate, with almost everyone believing that the one in which they participate in, is better than anything else. Perhaps surprisingly, badminton is the biggest individual ‘participation’ sport with 225 million players worldwide. However, golf comes very high on the list with over 60 million participants, and there are some very good reasons why we think it is such a great game. First and foremost, there is no age limit. The world’s oldest golfer is 103, and Tiger Woods started to play aged 2! What’s more, because of the handicap system you can play on level terms with anybody no matter how competent (or otherwise!) you may be. You can compete with a professional – try doing that in tennis, snooker, or boxing.

You can get plenty of exercise, OK, it’s not the same as running a marathon, but on average in an 18-hole round of golf, you walk about six miles. When you consider that most health professionals agree that to keep healthy you should walk a mile a day, one round of golf on a Saturday or Sunday is near enough all the exercise you need for a week. Golf is also the only sport in which you can eat or drink while you are playing it. You can wander along the fairway while you eat an apple, a sandwich, a sausage roll, or a pizza if you like although we wouldn’t advise it if you wish to score well. On some course, you can have a pint of beer? (depending on the licensing laws of the venue). Or take your own beverage with you. Some golfer are known to keep a hip flask topped up with whisky, brandy, port, or whatever your favourite tipple is, and celebrate every time you score par. Or maybe have a extra swig if you get a birdie. Hey, you could even take a bottle of wine if you have somewhere to keep in chilled

Golf Etiquetee and good manners…Golf can teach you many things, respect and good manners are just some of the life skills golf can educate you with and there are far too few of them about in the 21st century. There are unwritten rules, such as shaking hands at the end of every round, never walking on your partner’s putting lines, and the way everyone gets together to hunt for lost balls – unless they’re in the lake, of course. Every course is different. You are out in the countryside – hopefully in the sun – with nothing around you but beautiful scenery, yet that aside, each course has its own particular ambience. Even your own local course differs from day to day according to the weather, the light, the temperature, the season, and more.

You can play as many holes as you like. The standard 9 and 18, but if you want to take it easy you can quite often just play loops of five or six holes. Equally, if you’re up for it, you could play up to four or five rounds in a day, if your legs can take it! You can play as an individual, but you can also play as part of a team. You can have teams of any number you like. Pairs, three-balls, and four-balls are common, but you can make up a team with any number of players that you choose.

Golf is hard! Golf can be hard to learn but also so rewarding. Not just physically but mentally…. But it can also be frustrating, agonising, and downright disheartening – especially when you keep hitting 100+ scores. For example, it maybe you just can’t seem to break 90, however hard you try, and however many hours you put in. But when you do finally break that 90 it is the greatest feeling in the world! All that time, effort, and practice that you put in suddenly becomes worth it. Now it’s onwards to sub 80! Of course, there is a great camaraderie in golf… This is not just in your local clubhouse, but you can also now have your membership via an online golf club, or take out annual online golf club membership via one of the many now popular website networks.

Playing golf without the right golf equipment is like swimming without water, it just does not make sense. However, as we all know purchasing golf equipment is not a cheap venture. You have to weed your way through all of the gadgets and gimmicks that people are selling with the promise of improving your golf game. If you are the type who enjoy simply playing the game of golf on your free weekends, you need nothing more than the bare golf equipment essentials. All you really need are golf balls, golf clubs, and of course a golf bag to tow your clubs.

If you take a look at the golf equipment rules as defined by the United States Golf Association your golf bag should have fourteen or less clubs. You really need to focus on your putter, wedges, irons, woods, and driver. You can feel free to mix up your clubs provided you keep the golf bag carrying only the maximum of fourteen clubs. Of course, in getting yourself the proper set up, you should expect to pay up to $1,000 for a complete golf club set.

You simply cannot do without a golf bag. Think about having to tow around your golf balls and your clubs on the golf course, you simply would not make it. Golf bags are made from a variety of materials such as nylon or leather. When choosing a bag consider how you get around while playing your game. Do you ride in a golf cart or do you walk the course? If you are someone who rides a golf cart, you will likely want to have a large enough golf bag to contain not only your clubs, but towels, balls, tees, and other accessories.

Now if you are the type that walks the course, you will definitely want to invest in a lighter golf bag that comes with a shoulder strap for a more comfortable journey. When talking about essential golf equipment, you cannot forget your golf balls. Generally, you can purchase balls in sleeves or boxes of three. You can even find packages that contain 15 to 18 balls. You have your choice in types of golf balls as well, two-piece and balata. A two-piece golf ball has a surlyn cover, a core that is hard and very large. However, these are generally more popular because the surlyn cover protects the ball from cuts and nicks. The outer layer of a balata ball is softer but has the same hard core inside.

You’ve decided to start playing golf for the first time and have booked your first golf lesson at the local driving range. Before your first lesson the most important thing to do is purchase a suitable set of golf clubs; a golf set is the most cost-effective addition to your setup at the beginning of your golf career instead of purchasing golf clubs individually and a golf bag to store and transport the clubs to and from the golf course or driving range.

Which items of golf equipment are included in a beginner’s golf set? Four types of golf club are usually included; these are known as woods, irons and putters in addition to hybrid golf clubs which is a cross between an iron and a golf wood. In the game of golf a player is allowed to carry up to 14 golf clubs in their bag – in any combination. The cost of golf lessons from a professional can be expensive in addition to purchasing new golf clubs and equipment. If you’ve considered purchasing a set of used golf clubs before your first lesson – be cautious. Used golf clubs can work out to be a false economy if the items arrive with worn grips, fractured shafts (graphite) or missing head-covers.

The cost of purchasing new golf clubs for beginners has fallen drastically in recent years with online retailers like The Sports HQ supplying factory direct golf equipment – offering typical savings of up to 85% – compared to the traditional retail store. The Sports HQ for example manufacturers and supplies beginners golf sets in men’s, ladies and junior editions – with prices starting as low as £29.99 for a junior golf set to £49.99 for a beginner’s set of adult golf clubs.

New golf sets from The Sports HQ all carry a 12-month manufacturer’s warranty for extra piece of mind; each golf set is tailored for the specific requirements of the player – for example lady flex shafts in graphite and stainless steel are fitted to all clubs included in the ladies golf set. The Texan Classics Junior Golf Set from The Sports HQ features junior flex shafts on all clubs including a titanium 3-wood, 7-8-iron and putter. All beginners’ golf sets include a deluxe stand bag to securely store each club to and from the golf course.

The Chicago SGS Complete Golf Sets in men’s, ladies and left-handed includes a titanium 3-wood, a 3/4 hybrid rescue club which replaces the 3 and 4 long irons, in addition to 7 cavity back titanium reinforced irons (5-6-7-8-9-PW-SW) – all fitted with stainless steel shafts; the set is completed with a heel and toe balanced putter. All woods and irons included in the Chicago SGS set for beginners feature oversized club-heads for increased forgiveness on off-center shots – this also inspires confidence and motivation to continue learning and practicing.

After progressing from the driving range to your first outing to a pitch and putt or actual golf course you’ll also require a number of inexpensive golf balls for the duration of the course. All players lose the odd golf ball here and there in the beginning; the transition from driving range to golf course is a big one – suddenly a number of environmental factors like wind speed and direction come into play, and for the newcomer this can translate into the occasionally lost golf ball. The addition of water and sand hazards can also play a main role in losing golf balls. There are two inexpensive solutions to replacing lost golf balls; lake balls are used golf balls which are salvaged from the bottom of vast lakes across the world and reconditioned to a Grade A standard; lake balls offer players the chance to play top brands including Titliest, Noodle and Strata at a fraction of the cost of brand new golf balls.